The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1887-09-08
Green Manuring--By George Alien, OF
New Berne.
NUMBER 3.


Green Manuring--By George Alien, OF
New Berne.
N'-i' =
Especial Cor STATE CHEoHicLh
y farmer Is supposed to be practically
acquainted with everything concerning
agriculture. ana 70 know What i pest %
do under all circumstances IN order 70 oD-
tain g>munerative crops, but the fact Is
that no one farmer IN an average lifetime
can try enough experiments - NnoN every
thing. ana he must embrace every Nluor-
tuulty TO find out aud 70 study tn recorded
experiments q others
The information regarding when and
how 10 break land, and when 10 turn an
der sod Or stubbe or q crop grown for
manure, has come down y us from our
ancestors, and mas not been YerIhed by
eAperlmei y. one farmer continues L"
break the >tubn'e laAd in pcto1tr, lofhef
always burns OF the weeds aud otutGt -
February. and lhen breaks tha iah4 ~.
corn or cotton, ana each thiHAS iu, .''3n
right because his father did 50. \ery. ie"
nave CNpcrtmtuted 10 unc whether there
IS not better plan. Many OF our IDEAS
have been received from Northern farmers
and writer's, where the conditions "i etl-
mate are quite the reverse OF those eAiatiu-
II Jhe South- II the plo" ng Is not done
IL Chs Aorthtrn rn STATES before October II
cannot be done uhtll after JAe tr>t OF May
as the land Is covered with snow or bound
fast with ice
The Northern farmer often breaks his
sod land III September, and either soWS
wheat or expects the freeing and thaWlng
weather OF October TO pulverlZe and to
prepare the land to receive the annual
covering of snow, and with il a supply of
ammonia. which the southern farmer
must buy in commercial fertilizers or OBJ
tain by growing green crop for manure
In the South the conditions are quite diff
ferent. September Is hot month: octo-
Der Is frequently almost "a Waf-u Drying
WINDS sweep the bare heids; winter rams
wash the cotton and corn lands INTO gull
lies. and all the elements seem TO cOnsplre
to rob the soll OF nitrogen.
How can this great loss be prevented
Cannot the farmer 10 some extent at least,
cover his land with manurnC crops which
VIII shade and protect the land from sun,
wind and washing rain until he is ready
10 plant the spring crop.
This covering, aGter serving tue purpose
Of shading the land for several months,
and in that way improving the condition
Of the soil, Will be equal III value, when
turned under, TO many wagon loads OF
/ manure per acre. anu viii go lar lONdfuS
insurlng larger and more profitable crops.
NUMBER 4.
An examination of the agricultural sta
/ tistic. Of the country reveals the startling
/ fact that the yield per acre in almost every
| portion Of the United States IS declining,
! instead OF increasing a6 should Ge the case.
! Il is the exception when over fifteen bush
I els Of corn or two hundred pounds OF lint
cotton per acre Is produced, and the total
average Of corn is not that much III the
! Southern States. The farmer has IN many
cases worn out his farm, and has removed
south or west to repeat the operation
he improved implements for the cul
! .urc and harvesting crops enable one mau
to do what formerly required two men,
but il has been of no advantage 10 the
Southern farmer No corresponding i'm
provement has been made in the manage
ment of the land or in the size of the crops
produced.
/ Thousands of acres of land in the Mid
die and Southern States are cultivated al
| loss or have been abandoned as worth
. less. from improper management: anC
/ tht. owners are not increasing their wealth
4 better knowledge auu practice Of the
| conditions under which nature Will yielC
larger returns and more profitable crops i:
abSoiutetE necessary OF poverty anu us
treSs VIII oe the result.
the farmer manage his land IN order t.
make generous llVlng, ana at the same
time INCREASE the fertility OF the SOIL!
Governor Gordon OF Georgia very truth
fully said in his speech at the Inter Stat
Farmers Convention at Atlanta: IF asrl
culture has tailed to be remuneratiVe
there is a Fundamental mistake, radlea
wrong somewhere. Where Is it! VIVA
is IT? To search for it. and if poss
ible TO find it, and conquer and up
root it, is the high duty of every lover c
his country The dlfhculty Will not o